Erdogan Prepares to Send Syrian Rebels to Battle in Libya: Sources

"Al-Arabiya" news network quoted informed sources said that Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is preparing to recruit 8000 "Syrian fighters" with the aim of fighting in Libya among the militias led by Fayez Al-Sarraj, head of the Libyan "Al-Wefaq" government.

Erdogan signed with Al-Sarraj last month a MOU related to the demarcation of maritime borders and the strengthening of security cooperation between Ankara and the Al-Wefaq government in Tripoli.

Back then, the Libyan parliament condemned the memo and considered it illegal, as did many countries in the world. According to security sources, 200 Turkish advisors have been present for months in Tripoli.

Two days ago, the Turkish President claimed that his country received a request from the Al-Wefaq government to send troops to Libya.

Earlier, British 'Independent' quoted Libyan sources that Al-Sarraj called Turkey to send forces.

The sources told Al-Arabiya that among the 8 thousand Syrian fighters that Erdogan promised Al- Sarraj to send to Libyan territory, only about 120 fighters arrived. Most of those are Turkish and Syrians who left Syria, to the Turkish city of Gaziantep, then to Ankara, and then by plane to Tunisia, then to the border with Libya.

The sources indicated that the Turkish intelligence service has assigned the task of recruiting Syrians who will fight in Libya to the "Sultan Murad" faction, which is one of the pro-Ankara Syrian factions and is led by Syrian Turkish fighters.

Yesterday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights indicated that Syrian gunmen loyal to Ankara began to register their names in offices designated for their recruitment in Libya.

It was not possible for "Al-Arabiya.net" to know the exact value of the monthly salaries that Ankara would grant to these militants, but local sources indicated that "the group leaders will receive about $3,000 per month, while the regular recruits will get between $1500 to 2000.

The sources added that "the Turkish government will grant the families of these fighters financial compensation if they lose their lives during the battle in Libya."

The Turkish parliament will convene on  January 8 or 9 to vote to send soldiers to support Al-Wefaq government and its militias in their battle against the Libyan National Army led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.

On the ground, Tripoli, witnessed remarkable progress for the Libyan army. Its spokesman, Ahmed Al-Mesmari, said that the developments of the coming hours will be surprising to all Libyans, noting that the forces are preparing to enter the main neighborhoods in Tripoli.

"We have taken control of strategic areas on the airport road in Tripoli, and we are fighting fierce battles in the final stage of the liberation of Tripoli," he added.

He also revealed that the militias are concentrated in the residential areas of Tripoli, indicating that there are dozens of bodies of militia men along the airport road in Tripoli. Meanwhile, reports revealed that foreign ministers from Italy, Germany, Britain and France might visit Tripoli on January 7.